Commentary
Xi Jinping’s “zero-COVID” policy and protests sparked by the fire that killed people in an apartment building in Urumqi. According to many accounts, the victims were locked inside due to COVID measures. This horrific outcome of the “zero-COVID” policy has caused subsequent protests in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and other cities calling for Xi and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to step down. The broad display of the Chinese regime’s flag, the singing of the national anthem, and the display of blank sheets of white paper are symbols of protest against the regime.
The protesters are heroically brave and bold as they incur great risks. The police presence, CCTV, omnipresent recognition software, and tracking techniques increase the risk of being identified even if they seek anonymity. This risk will remain for many months to come. A lesson from the CCP’s history is instructive. One of Mao Zedong’s comments regarding the intent of the “Hundred Flowers” campaign briefly allowing some criticism of the CCP was to “lead the snake from the hole.” That is, to allow critics to reveal themselves and thus face annihilation when the inevitable crackdown occurred. This time will be no different as the protesters will not overthrow the Chinese regime, and leaders will be identified and heavily punished….